TALK RADIO WATCH

Rush persuades 'diehard Democrat' to change his tune

Exclusive: Kathy Shaidle recaps top stories from America's top hosts

Kathy Shaidle is a blogging pioneer whose FiveFeetOfFury.com is now in its 12th year. Her most recent book â€“ "The Tyranny of Nice: How Canada Crushes Freedom in the Name of Human Rights, and Why It Matters to Americans" â€“ features an introduction by Rush Limbaugh guest host Mark Steyn.

“I thought I would never say this in my lifetime,” began the caller, a “diehard Democrat” from Texas who credited Rush Limbaugh with changing his political views.

Describing himself as African-American, the caller explained that he’d “voted for Obama the first time because I thought he would make a great role model for young black Americans.” However, he’d come to regret his vote, and assured Limbaugh that his message was “reaching more people than you think” (FREE audio).

Michael Savage

Every year, Talkers Magazine releases its prestigious list of “the most important radio talk show hosts in America,” popularly known as the “Heavy Hundred.”

Michael Savage, who ranks near the top year in and year out, took the No. 5 spot this year. Placement is determined by factors such as “courage, effort, impact, longevity, potential, ratings, recognition, revenue, service, talent and uniqueness.”

On his show this week, Savage – a university-trained nutritionist – took aim at New York Mayor Bloomberg’s attempted soda ban, which was struck down by the courts (FREE audio).

“I called it ‘food fascism’ in my 1981 book ‘The Skeptical Nutritionist,'” Dr. Savage told listeners. “Is it the right wing that’s trying to impose fascistic food decisions on you? No, it’s leftists like Bloomberg. We have to stop these fascists somewhere. If you don’t stop them when they try to ban large sodas, when will you do it?”

Mark Levin

A business owner called Mark Levin to explain what Obamacare is doing to his business. He simply can’t afford to comply with the premiums or pay the fines, so he may be forced to cut his employees’ hours to less than 29 hours a week to avoid having to participate in the program (FREE audio).

Appearing on Sean Hannity’s television program, Levin compared the Democrats to “the pied piper trying to take the country over the cliff. And we have to stop it, and that’s what we’re trying to do” (FREE video).

Aaron Klein

Klein welcomed special guest, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, to talk about saber rattling in Iran and North Korea, as well as the future of the Republican Party.

Could your family physician soon become “a one-person death panel”? Under Obamacare’s new rules, Klein says, that may be possible. He also talked about the president’s domestic drone program and the latest news about the Department of Homeland Security’s “fusion centers” (FREE audio).

Laura Ingraham

Once again welcoming voices beyond the Beltway, this week Ingraham spoke to Frank Morano, who owns New York’s Prince Street Pizza. He talked about the impact Mayor Bloomberg’s soda ban would have on his business.

“If the law is mandated, Coca-Cola is not going to change its prices,” he pointed out. “They are going to charge the same amount for a 12-ounce soda that we were charging for a 20-ounce. How can I charge that?”

Beck is launching a new show on his TheBlaze Internet television channel, but not everyone is impressed.

The program, called “For the Record,” bills itself as an investigative magazine show along the lines as the venerable “60 Minutes.” However, critic Christopher Zara notes that “conservative media is in the midst of a credibility crisis,” and that simply trying to imitate a successful “liberal” media model won’t help matters.

“It could be that conservatives, for all their adeptness in the world of punditry,” he added, “are simply outclassed by liberal reporters’ talent for uncovering scandals.”